Is exodus linked to teacher's trial?

Meg McSherry Breslin, Tribune staff reporterCHICAGO TRIBUNE

Several top administrators have resigned or gone on leave at Hinsdale Central High School, leaving some faculty wondering if it's fallout from the recent sexual-assault trial of a longtime teacher and coach.

The trial of Robert Mueller, who was convicted last year of sexually assaulting two former students, put the normally quiet and affluent high school with a stellar statewide reputation on the hot seat.

Now a number of leaders, including popular Athletic Director Tom Schweer, are departing with little explanation.

"Slowly but surely, there's starting to be a mass exodus of leadership in our building," said Tom Ludovice, president of Central's faculty association. "When administrators are leaving, teachers wonder who's next and what's going to happen. It creates a feeling of anxiety, a feeling of frustration, a feeling of confusion, and all of that makes it harder to come to work."

Many district observers are also confused by the board's recent decision to strip former Supt. Roger Miller's name from its administration building, and say the connection to Mueller's case seems obvious.

After Mueller's indictment, DuPage County State's Atty. Joseph Birkett said he nearly prosecuted Miller and Principal James Ferguson for not immediately reporting the sex-abuse allegations to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. School officials said their attorney advised them not to report because the parents of the first victim claimed that nothing occurred.

Though there didn't appear to be any consequences for Miller at the time, some say the retribution is coming now.

"How insulting can it be to have your name on a building and then have them come and take it down?" said Ly Hotchkin, a longtime community leader. "To me, that's an insult beyond belief, and it's very childish."

Though some at the school are convinced that the turnover is directly connected to Mueller, others say there has been mounting tension between the school board and faculty for years. They argue that the Mueller case may have tipped things to the boiling point.

"I was talking with another teacher the other day who said we don't have low morale here; we have no morale," said Tom Dorrance, Central's baseball coach and a math teacher.

He said teachers say they're under attack, misunderstood and disrespected by some members of the school board.

"This has been building up for a number of years, even before Mueller's name was brought up in the papers," Dorrance said.

School officials contend that the turnover isn't connected to the Mueller case and, as for morale, some board members say they have tried to make better financial decisions in recent years. The actions include tightening retirement benefits that were too expensive to maintain, limiting salaries for new teachers with substantial experience in other districts and establishing an anti-nepotism policy for jobs.

Board member Richard Skoda said Central already has one of the highest-paid faculties in the state and is continuing to attract scores of candidates for any new position it posts. He said the board's recent decisions won't undermine that.

"The question really is: What has caused this sudden morale issue? Is it fear of change?" Skoda said. "The reality is nobody's been fired or put in handcuffs or suspended."

Ferguson, Central's principal, went on paid medical leave March 7, and Schweer, the athletic director, resigned March 26 from what many called his "dream job." Both oversaw at least some of Mueller's time as a science teacher and varsity basketball coach. Calls to Ferguson were not returned, and Schweer declined to elaborate on his departure.

Some school board members said Ferguson had a doctor's note, but they do not know what his medical condition is or if he will return.

Earlier this school year, Central's assistant principal, Tim Shimp, accepted a principal position in Yorkville.

Then there's the decision to strip Miller's name from the district building.

The school board voted unanimously to attach Miller's name to its administrative building in 2005, when he retired, but it was renamed the Hinsdale Township High School District Administrative Center on Feb. 2.

Some school board members said they had a change of heart more recently, feeling the name was too cumbersome.

"The timing was probably bad," said board member Dennis Brennan. "But I think we got caught up in the moment when we put it on there. The board wanted to do something, but nobody had really thought out what we should do. . . . The board still might do something [to honor Miller]."

Ludovice, president of the faculty association, said concerns among teachers have mounted in recent weeks, to the point that a faculty member plans to speak briefly at a school board meeting Monday night to express their worries.

"We really want to create a better atmosphere, a more conducive atmosphere that would allow teachers to teach at the best of their game," Ludovice said. "We want to work with the board so teachers feel that they're trusted."

For the last several years, the Mueller case has cast a pall over the district. Mueller, 45, of Woodridge was sentenced last month to 32 years in prison. He was convicted of two criminal sexual-assault charges involving a 2004 graduate and six charges involving a 2001 graduate. The assaults occurred during the girls' junior and senior years and occurred inside the school, in cars or in a motel, according to trial testimony.

As painful as the case was for the district, baseball coach Dorrance said the tension between the school board and faculty goes much deeper, as was evidenced by the departure of Schweer.

"[Schweer] is a very stand-up guy. He's not going to say anything bad about other people. He said he resigned . . . but I have a good feeling that the choice was more than his," Dorrance said. "I think he was standing up for us [coaches] and because of that, I think they hammered him pretty good."